Rotary engine.



ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1909. 988,949. Patented Apr..4, 1911.

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ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1909.

988,949, Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

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WESLEY HUFFMAN RICHMOND, OF MARQUET'IE, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed March 15, 1909. Serial No. 483,426.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WESLEY H. RICHMOND, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Marquette, in the county of Marquette and State ofMichigan, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rotaryengine, arranged to utilize the motive agent to the fullest advantage,by giving the piston an initial impulse by the abutment and a secondimpulse by the direct pressure of the motive agent.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and thenpointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement, parts being in section;Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the abutment and the slideconnected therewith; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the improvement on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showing the parts in position for admitting themotive agent to the cylinder; Fig. 4 is a similar view of the same andshowing the parts in position shortly after the beginning of theexhaust; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan View of the same on the line 5-5 ofFig. 4; Fig. 6 is a similar view of the same on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;Fig. 7 is a sectional plan View of the revoluble piston; and Fig. 8 is asectional elevation of the same on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

In the cylinder A is mounted to revolve a piston B in the form of an armand secured .on a shaft 0 extending centrally through the cylinder A,and into the cylinder A extends a bearing E in which is mounted to slidea radially dispose'd abutment F adapted to engage the peripheral face ofthe piston B.

The abutment F is secured to the lower end of the stem G of a valvepiston G, mounted to reciprocate in a cylinder H mounted on top of thecylinder A, and the cylinder H is connected by ports a with a chamber Hformed on the cylinder H and connected by a pipe I with the interior ofthe cylinder A, at one side of the bearing E and its abutment F, and anexhaust pipe I leads from the cylinder A to the other side of theabutment F. The upper end of the stem G of the valve piston G isconnected with one end of a U-shaped slide J, having one memberextending through a stufling box H held on the closed top of thecylinder H, the other member of the slide J being mounted to slide in abearing K attached to the cylinder A. The lower end of the outer memberof the slide J is provided with a friction roller J, in contact with theperipheral face of a cam L, secured on the main shaft C, so that whenthe latter is rotated the slide J is caused to slide upward, thus movingthe valve piston Gr and the abutment F in a like direction, so that thevalve piston G closes the ports a to allow the motive agent subsequentlyto act initially on the valve piston G, for the abutment to press thepiston B to give the latter an impulse during its travel from the topposition until it has passed the pipe I (see dotted lines 1n Fig. 3).

The upper end of the cylinder H is connected by a pipe N with the portI) of a steam chest 0, connected by a pipe P with a suitable motiveagent supply, and in the chest 0 reciprocates a slide valve Q,controlling the port I). The stem Q, of the slide valve Q is connectedwith an eccentric R mounted on the main shaft 0, so that when the latteris rotated a reciprocating movement is given to the slide Q, for thelatter to open and close the port Z) for controlling the admission ofthe motive agent to the cylinder H. Now when the several parts are inthe position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, then the motive agent passes fromthe chest 0 into the up per portion of the cylinder H and by way of theuncovered ports a into the chamber H, and from the latter by way of thepipe I into the cylinder A between the piston B and the abutment F, togive a fluid pressure impulse to the piston B in the direction of thearrow a. After the piston B has traveled a desired distance, the valveQ, closes and cuts oil the motive agent from the cylinder A, therebyallowing the motive agent in the cylinder to act expansively on thepiston B until the latter uncovers the exhaust pipe I leading from oneside of the cylmder A. When this takes place the motive agent containedin the cylinder A exhausts through the pipe I and the cam L now acts onthe slide J to lift the latter and with it the valve piston G and theabutment F, and when the piston B reaches'a vertical position then theslide valve Q moves downward into an open position by the action of theeccentric B, so as to uncover the port Z) and thereby allow the motiveagent to pass from the chest 0 by Way of the port I) and the pipe l intothe upper end of the auxiliary cylinder H. The motive agent now exerts adownward pressure upon the valve piston G, so that the abutment Fpresses against one side of the piston B to give an impulse to thelatter, as before men tioned, and when the abutment F uncovers the pipeI then the valve piston G has moved sufliciently far downward to uncoverthe ports a, thus allowing the charge of motive agent in the auxiliarycylinder H to pass into the cylinder A with a view to give anotherimpulse to the piston B, as above described.

During the downward movement of the valve piston G the slide valve Qmoves upward to close the port 5, thus shutting off the motive agentsupply to the auxiliary cylinder H and the main cylinder A. The piston Bis provided on itsv sides and ends with suitable packing strips Bpressed on by springs B and the piston B is also provided with a port 0to admit motive agent from the cylinderA to the inner faces of thepacking bars at the outer end of the piston B, to press the said packingbars outward in firm contact with the inner surface of the cylinder A.By the arrangement described leakage of motive agent is prevented.

It is understood that by the arrangement described, the motive agent(steam, compressed air or the like) is initially used to press the valvepiston G downward, for the abutment F to press on the side of the pistonB to give the latter a first impulse, and after the piston B has passedthe pipe I, the motive agent enters the main cylinder A between theabutment and the piston B to give the latter a second impulse.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A rotary engine, comprising a main cylinder, a piston mounted to turnin the said main cylinder, an abutment slidable in and out of the saidcylinder and adapted to abut against the said piston, a piston valvemoving with the said abutment, an auxiliary cylinder connected with asource of mo tive agent supply and having ports connected with the saidmain cylinder, the said ports being controlled by the said valve piston,a main shaft carrying the said piston, a cam on the said main shaft, anda slide engaging the said cam and connected with the said valve piston.

2. A rotary engine, comprising a main cylinder, a piston mounted to turnin the said main cylinder, an abutment slidable in and out of the saidcylinder and adapted to abut against the said piston, a valve pistonmoving with the said abutment, an auxiliary cylinder connected with asource of motive agent supply and having ports connected with the saidmain cylinder, the said ports being controlled by the said valve piston,a main shaft carrying the said piston, a slide valve for controlling themotive agent to the said valve cylinder, and an eccentric for operatingthe Said slide valve.

8., A rotary engine, comprising a main cylind r, a piston mounted toturn in the said main cylinder, an abutment slidable in and out of thesaid cylinder and adapted to abut against the said piston, a valvepiston moving with the said abutment, an auxiliary cylinder connectedwith a source of motive agent supply and having ports connected with thesaid main cylinder, the said ports being controlled by the said valvepiston, a main shaft carrying the said piston, a slide valve forcontrolling the motive agent to the said valve cylinder, an eccentricfor operating the said slide valve, a cam on the said main shaft, and aslide engaging the said cam and connected with the said piston.

4'. A rotary engine, comprising a main cylinder, a main shaft extendingthrough the said cylinder, a piston secured on the said main shaft andin contact at its free end with the inner surface of the said cylinder,an abutment for contact with the said piston and sliding in and out ofthe said main cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder having an inlet and ports,leading to a chamber, a valve piston therein and having its stemconnected with the said abutment, the said valve piston controlling thesaid ports, an admission passage connecting the said chamber with theinterior of the said main cylinder to conduct the motive agent to thecylinder, a cam secured on the said shaft, and a slide c0nnected withthe stem of the said valve piston and having a friction roller incontact with the peripheral face of the said cam.

5. A rotary engine, comprising a main cylinder, a main shaft extendingthrough the said cylinder, a piston secured on the said main shaft andin contact at its free end with the inner surface of the said cylinder,an abutment for contact with the said piston and sliding in and out ofthe said main cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder having an inlet and portsleading to a chamber, a valve piston therein and having its stemconnected with the said abutment, the said valve piston controlling thesaid ports, an admission passage connecting the said chamber with theinterior of the said main cylinder to conduct the motive agent to thecylinder, a cam se cured on the said shaft, a slide connected with thestem of the said valve piston and having a friction roller in contactwith the peripheral face of the said cam, a chest connected with asource of motive agent supply and with the said auxiliary cylinder, aslide valve in the said chest and controlling the connection to the saidauxiliary cylinder, and an eccentric on the said main shaft andconnected with the said slide valve.

6. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a shaft rotatable therein, and havinga blade moving in contact with the walls of the cylinder, an abutmentfor closing the space between the shaft and the cylinder wall, a chamberradial to the cylinder and communicating therewith, a piston controllingthe communication and to whose rod the abutment is connected, saidpiston opening the port when moving toward the shaft, a valvecontrolling the admission of the motive fluid to the cylinder andoperated by the shaft, said valve being arranged to open immediatelyafter the blade passes the abutment, whereby to move said abutmentforcibly against the blade for the purpose set forth.

7. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a shaft rotatable therein, and havinga blade moving in contact with the walls of the cylinder, an abutmentfor closing the space between the shaft and the cylinder wall, meansoperated by the rotation of the shaft for admitting the motive fluid tothe cylinder, and means operated by the incoming fluid for moving theabutment to im art a preliminary impulse to the blade before the motivefluid impinges thereon.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WESLEY HUFFMAN RlOHMOND.

Witnesses FRANK J. JENNISON, H. R. Fox.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

